During 1488-1914 the world witnessed the rise and fall of the British Empire. Many historians argue that the cause of the collapse of the British Empire was in fact due to the end of the Age of Imperialism and Colonialism. These were the foundations in which the British Empire was built. The idea of colonialism is a theory in which the success of an Empire was determined by the acquisition of more land. Colonialism is defined as a political and economic system that resulted in an empire gaining power over smaller countries that would thereafter form colonies. Examples of colonial rule were the Spanish expansion in America and the Dutch Settlers in South Africa. It is proven in source 1 that, “Colonialism, Western, a political-economic phenomenon …show more content…
Imperialism forced people to accept Western Ways as they believed it to be superior to any other native culture they come across in their respective colonies. Even though colonialism and imperialism were designed to help empires succeed the method in which this was achieved was only effective because of the exploitation received by the natives. In source3, it can be deduced that foreign rule gave way for imported goods therefore wiping out any preexisting native culture, industry and local craft industries. This lead to the natural wealth of territories being funneled out only to be later absorbed by the mother …show more content…
“British leaders had no doubt that Britain must uphold its status as the third great power, and that it could only do so by maintaining its empire and the Commonwealth link.’ Britain had become a 3rd world superpower as a result of being overtaken by the USSR and USA. The USA followed the practice of capitalism which was based on the idea of demand and supply, which helped reinforce it defeats over Japan and Nazi Germany. The USSR, followed the theory of Communism, which was based on the ideas of Karl Marx, which was that the wealth of nation should be shared amongst its people. Even though these ideologies were different they were able to form an alliance that overlooked all the tensions to form the Grand Alliance that would help Britain under Churchill defeat Nazi Germany in 1945. America rose to power in 1914 with the help of the Britain in one of the most unlikely ways and this was mainly caused by the fact Britain started infringing themselves in debt for military support from the USA. Because of the huge supplies that the Americans started stockpiling, large numbers of orders, mostly weaponry, forced its economy to switch from civil to military production in something referred to as War Mobilization.
America and the USSR both had different opinions on communism and how a country should be run. The USSR believed communism was the perfect way to run its country and people. Communism consisted of a one party state which owned the whole of the industry business and the agricultural business too. There would be no individual profit making and everyone was equal and received an equal amount of money. America, however was a capitalist state which meant that there was freedom of speech, free elections and more than one political party.
Do you ever wonder why whenever you have a problem, it’s always an Indian person that answers on the phone. Imperialism is when one country (usually the one with more power) takes over another country for their own benefits. Imperialism generally happens when a country needs something that they don’t have and that thing will make their country run smoother. What they do is find who has what they need and if they aren’t best buddies with them, they usually take that country over for what they need. This happened in 1857 when the British took control over India for their cotton and tea because we all know how the British love their tea. Although Britain had developed a strong government for India, gave them plenty of jobs, and built schools for them; However, British government only served the needs of the Britians, the jobs were so crappy that Indians died of starvation, and only the super rich Indian males were the only ones getting educated.
The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and Social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans were aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on. Britain was endowed with geographic and political advantages that allowed the country to become the first to unwittingly stumble onto industrialization. Britain was an island, therefore had developed a unique naval strength which subsequently gave Britain leverage when globalization blossomed from expanding maritime trade. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe, including Belgium, trailed behind. Presently, colonized regions still bear the traits and scars from the subjugators of their past.
The greatness of Great Britain from 1750 to 1915 has been debated for generations, but it’s important to define greatness, the main themes are political, Imperial and Economic. I will explore the positives and negatives of the British empire, and will end with a rounded conclusion. I think Britain was a great during this period because they helped many people get used to the modern world.
The new imperialism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was made possible by several economic, political, and social forces. During the scramble for overseas colonies, many European powers saw the benefits of establishing colonies in distant lands. There were many motives behind this however, economically, politically , and socially. Forming a colony would greatly promote economic interest. Faraway lands were rich in the natural resources that western nations greatly desired, such as rubber, cloth, spices, salt, precious minerals, and of course slaves. Through colonization, these raw materials could easily be obtained and monopolized, thus making the nation wealthier
Much of the modern world would be drastically different without the influence of Britain throughout history. If history were to be rewritten employing Great Britain as anything but great, think of the impact this would have on modern life in the twenty first century; English would most likely not be the most common language, the industrial revolution would have been postponed for possibly centuries and nearly every aspect of history would have been different. How does a country become so successful to the point where without it, the world would be changed forever? This influence would not have been possible if Britain had not been as successful as it was. Although many variables were in play in contributing to this success, none were more influential and important than the fact that Britain was able to use its island status to prosper in naval battle, exploration, and invention.
Imperialism has occurred widely throughout history. China, Africa, and India are just a few nations out of many who have been victims of imperialism in the 1900’s. It is a form of economic exploitation in which the imperialist power makes use of other countries as sources of raw material and cheap labor, shaping their economies to suit their own interests and keeping their people in poverty either through direct or indirect rule. This is unequal and explains why imperialism has a negative impact on the world because it violates freedoms and human rights.
In the late 1800s in Europe, Imperialism was wildly popular. Britain was especially successful at creating colonies in as many different places as possible. Because of the great scientific achievements of Britain in the long 19th century, they were able to quickly and easily take over large amounts of land and enforce control on the native people who were living there. Their primary focuses were on creating better trade routes and establishing western culture in “lesser” populations. Though many resisted the British invasions into their lands, some countries negotiated peace with them and handed over the territory peacefully.
Imperialism is one’s country’s domination of the political, economic and cultural life of another nation. The new Age of Imperialism began in the latter half of the 19th century, and it affected everyone. The British destroyed the Indians’ culture, their only goal was to utilize the subcontinent for their own profit. The British left India in a poor condition when they left. Overall, British rule had a negative, compelling effect on India.
In 1857 the British had invaded the nation of Hindustan (India). Many feel that if it were not for the British Empire, India would still be an under developed country. The British established a government system that before did not exist. It was a three level system including the imperial government located in London, the central government located in Calcutta, and later on provincial governments scattered throughout the regions of what was known as the British Raj1. Alt...
European Colonialism has been around since the late 15th century and their model for colonialism will exist for many years to come. Colonization could be considered to start as far back as the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. However, this colonization model was not near as deadly as the European model (Louis). The ancient civilizations educated, advanced, and motivated their colonies to succeed. The European model falls far short of the standard set in past years. This model for colonialism starts in the late 1400s when Britain began its reign over Ireland and Portugal with Spain began its conquest of the Americas. As this model exists currently the mother state sets up satellite states that provide resources to the mother country. The mother country then produces final products and sells them back to the satellite state. This eventually bleeds the satellite country dry of resources and economic means. The European model for colonization leaves the education and advancement of the satellite state up to the citizens themselves (Louis).
During the late nineteenth century Germany and the USA began to overtake Britain’s industrial dominance, Eric Hobsbawm believes that ‘it is not surprising that Britain was unable to maintain the extraordinary position as workshop of the world’. This is due to a number of factors such as, more railways in other countries, decline in exports compared to other nations, the British government followed a policy of free trade and the production of materials like steel in Germany and the USA was far greater than what the British produced. However, even though other nations began to industrialise and catch up with Britain, she still remained a leading industrial power. This is because Britain was still in the world’s top three economies, exports were high during the 1870s also Britain
As learned earlier in the course, colonialism has two distinct forms. The first distinct form is the process in which one nation uses forceful means to obtain land. The second form of colonialism focuses mainly on “exploiting the
The British Empire only finally started dissolving after the First World War, with the process being speeded up dramatically in the aftermath of the Second World War. The primary reason for the dissolution of the empire was economic and political rather than racial: after the Second World War, Britain was simply too impoverished to continue holding on to an empire created in a previous century, and it was easier to grant independence to the far flung colonies, especially when some of these turned violent.
Colonialism was a concept of superiority of one territory over another; it was a concept that originated centuries ago. Colonialism had been put into action throughout a long line of history and did not end after World War II in 1945. Even with resistance and efforts from independent states after the war, colonialism did not disappear and continued as a dominant system. It remained and changed its form, resulted in the process of globalization, which continued to control over newly independent states following World War II. Globalization, a form of colonialism, maintained power for the system over states or regions through economic terms with the development of the World Bank, and its derivation of structural adjustments. This financial institution was formed and contributed to colonialism; it assisted in the economic affairs of colonized nation(s). Along with class, professor Manfred B. Steger's book, Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, and I.B. Logan and Kidane Mengisteab's article, "IMF – World Bank Adjustment and Structural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa," discussed the indirect rule of colonial powers through globalization.